>> schieffer: today on face the nation an exclusive interview with the new massachusetts senator scott brown. when republican scott brown drove his truck across massachusetts and stunned the political world by winning ted kennedy's senate seat, it sent a thunder bolt through politics across the nation. >> it's not ted kennedy's seat. it's not the democrats' seat. it's the people's seat. >> schieffer: there were immediate comparisons to jimmy stewart in mr. smith goes to washington. the tea party took credit for his win. democrats and republicans shivered. what did it mean to both parties? today we'll ask brown what he thinks the message was in his

victory. where does he go from here on issues like reforming wall street and afghanistan? then we'll bring in the new pulitzer prize winning columnist kathleen parker for analysis. i'll have a final thought on-- dare i say it-- how that volcano has reminded us that life before jet planes was not all bad. but first, senator scott brown on "face the nation." captioning sponsored by cbs "face the nation" with cbs news chief washington correspondent bob schieffer. and now from cbs news in washington, bob schieffer. >> schieffer: good morning again. well, we welcome senator brown for his first sunday morning interview since being sworn in as a united states senator. welcome, senator. i want to say every day including yesterday seems to

bring news of some new outrage on wall street. but your republican leader mitch mcconnell came out flatly against the financial reforms that the democrats are going to bring to the senate floor next week or this week maybe. it sounded like the republican response to health care reform. just we're against it. president obama pushed back about as hard as we heard him lately. he accused mcconnell of taking that stance after a meeting with big wall street bankers. listen to this. >> low and behold when he returned to washington the senate republican leader came out against common sensory forms that we've proposed. in doing so he made the cynical and deceptive assertion that reform would enable future bailouts when he knows it would do exactly the opposite. >> schieffer: you have already said you're against this reform. you're with senator mcconnell connell. but what about that statement by the president? >> i think the president's political arm is now taking over this debate. it's unfortunate because i, like many others in my state and throughout the country

want banks to be banks. i don't want them to be casinos and take risky bets on our money. i think that this is an issue that we can clearly come to common ground and just solve the problem. where there are problems we should fix them. but the regulation and the bill that is being proposed by the banking chairman dramatically affects businesses, for example, liberty mutual, mass mutual. these folks are caught in that regulation as well. it's going to cost potentially 25 to 35,000 jobs. >> schieffer: wait a minute, senator. how can can you say that? >> i can say it very clearly because the regulations that are trying to reel in with some of the risky hedging they're doing also affects companies like i described in massachusetts. it's very klee. speaking with secretary geithner the other day i noted that the president's comments. but secretary geithner has some of the same criticisms of the bill. in that it doesn't end the bailout mentality of the big

banks are too big to fail concept. and in addition there are a lot of things in the dodd bill that are just bad for business, small businesses in particular. and we should do better. i called the president out the other day in the administration to do better and stop politicizing these issues and just start solving problems. >> schieffer: don't you think that senator mcconnell might be a little bit guilty of politicizing when he comes out and just said flatly, no! we're against it. >> he's not saying, no to financial reformment unless i'm mistaken because that's never the impression i've gotten. in the three days since i've been there. throughout our caucuses that issue has been in the forefront with the teams that are negotiating with the banking chairmen to try to find common sensory forms and address situations like the one that i just pointed out where companies are caught in the big web. when you have government interfering in businesses', small businesses' lives and just throwing a one size fits all approach just to score political points, it's sad. we should be looking at real issues.

i'm sorry real solutions to these problems. to politicize it is clear. what they're doing, trying to score points and you should we should do better. >> schieffer: i have to say though when you look at what's coming out of wall street, i mean, every day tells us.... >> bob, i agree with you. >> schieffer: tells us of some outrage. just yesterday the sec claims that goldman sachs which has been sort of the gold standard for wall street that they defrauded customers that bought risky investments tied to some sub prime mortgages. even worse, risky investments packages that had been put together by hedge fund managers who were planning to bet against them and reap huge profits. that's got to tell you something has got to be done here. >> absolutely. i said we want banks to be banks not casinos. i'm glad the s.e.c. is doing their job. they should bring those charges because it's wrong and we should do something about it. that's not what the bill does. the bill actually captures a

lot of other things that really in other institutions that have had played no role in what we're talking about. so we're going to do some realistic reforms let's do it. let's stop playing games and politicizing it and let's get back down to business. >> schieffer: are you prepared to work with the administration? you have said you're against this bill. >> yes. >> schieffer: but are you prepared to support some kind of reforms if in fact you have to go against the majority of your party? >> i've done that before. i look at each bill in an independent manner and vote accordingly. i did it in the first jobs bill. i look at each and every proposal. and he read it and make sure i understand it and make sure it's good for massachusetts and ultimately good for the country. we need to fix certain areas in financial reform. i've said very publicly we should do that. this issue shouldn't be politicized. this should be something that we all come together and say let's just get it done folks. when the president politicizes this and just to try to score points, it's wrong. i'm ready to move and work as

i always have been on each and every issue. >> schieffer: what should be done here? what's the next step? >> the next step is to put people in a room and start solving problems. as evidenced by what i've tried to do which is to rote with the democrats and be the 60th vote or be the 41st vote. washington is broken. people are hurting. they want us to do better. we should do better. >> schieffer: what you be prepared to filibuster this bill rather than let it come to the floor? >> the present bill, the present bill is not a good bill, period. i have reviewed it. we've analyzed it. there are so many things.... >> schieffer: the answer is yes. >> in this particular instance, yes. >> schieffer: you're also ready to work on something else? >> i made that very clear to the chairman the other day. >> schieffer: senator, you came to town to change things. you came to the senate a couple of months. you've been there a while now. what do you think of the place? >> well certainly i'm honored to represent the people in massachusetts. it's been a humbling experience. it will be three months

tomorrow that i was elected. 73 days i've been in. i've tried to certainly... i miss my wife and my kids and the dogs. but there are certain things that we're very proud of. that's getting an office up and running, getting our constituent services up and running. bigger buildings, bigger numbers, same issues. i'm just looking forward to start to get moving. >> schieffer: you weren't very complimentary to washington in how it was working before you got here. have you changed your mind about anything, anything surprised you? anything that pleased you? displeased you? >> i've enjoyed meeting everybody. i'm honored to be here with you. i never thought i would be here certainly on this show. but washington is broken. the perception is correct. there's too much partisan politics involved. and as i've said before i'll be the 41st vote when it's a propose... appropriate when it deals with issues affecting my state and and this country. i'll be the 60th vote if i need to. people are hurting. they're angry. they want us to start solving

problems. with he need to get the fiscal house in order. we need to focus on taxes and spending and terrorism. >> schieffer: you got elected and the tea party took a lot of credit for your election. you passed up the chance to appear at their rally in boston with sarah palin. you had a good excuse. the senate was in session. i notice you didn't show up at any of the rallies around washington here. what is your relationship to the tea party? do you consider yourself a tea partier as it were? >> i consider somebody who is a member of the tea party being a concerned citizen who is concerned about the economic stability of our country. that's in my definition that's what a tea party member. is. those people are democrats, republicans, independents, young, old, happy, sad, rich poor. they're very concerned about where our country is going financially. i'm very thankful for the tea party's support. i'm also thankful for the 1.1 million votes i received and all the support from every walk of life and every branch. i'm a republican as you remember from massachusetts.

13% enrollment. if i didn't have the support of all different types of groups i never would have been elected. i respect what they're doing. you're right. i was voting. we're dealing with nuclear proliferation in iran. the next day when the washington rally i was the sub committee chair on dealing with the afghan police forces and the $6 billion we've spent on trying to uplift that program. and where is the money? why isn't the program working? in addition to that, i had votes. i was sent here by the tea party members and everybody else to do my job. >> schieffer: would you have, for example, gone to the rally in boston and appeared with sarah palin had the senate not been in session. >> i've been to rallies before. i spoke last year at two rallys in worcester before i was elected. you know, my role now is an elected official is to do my job. that wasn't... those weren't the circumstances. i have great respect for sarah and what she's doing. she's got a lot on her plate. she plays a role in that movement.

and just the republican party. >> schieffer: do you agree with... you know, our poll last week at cbs news poll showed that most people, the large group of people in the tea party think the president is pushing the country towards socialism. do you believe that? >> i know that the president should start to focus on jobs and job creation and that hasn't been done. we've done health care since i've been here which they rammed through by using a parliamentary procedure that has never been used for something this big ever. the bill as we're finding out is seriously flawed. it's going to cost medical device companies in my state thousands of jobs. now we're talking about regulation reform. we're politicizing that. illegal immigration is going to come forth. we're in pakistan and afghanistan. the only thing they talked about from the president all the way down to the poorest were jobs. i've heard zero talk about jobs.

i'll leave that up to the political pundits but i know from what i've seen that we need to focus on jobs. and the president has got to do so. >> schieffer: do you decline to answer my question: is he pushing the country towards socialism? >> i don't think he's making proper choices when it comes to dealing with the free market and free enterprise and allowing businesses to really run themselves and create jobs. as a result larger government is happening. we're creating jobs which are all government jobs. the private sector is is definitely.... >> schieffer: do you think the president shares american values? >> i think the president is a good man. he has a good family. he has two wonderful daughters. i recognize that challenge what that can hold. i respect the office of president. i've always said that, you know, he is an american. i know he cares deeply about our country. just different priorities. my priority is to deal with the taxes and spending issues to get our economy moving again and to also keep us safe so when we transport ourselves throughout the country and the

world we know that our loved ones are going to be coming home. >> schieffer: let's talk about afghan stachb. you chose as your first overseas trip as a senator to go to afghanistan. you met with the troops but you also talked to the leader over there, mr. karzai. he's been saying some frankly pretty weird things. like at one point saying he might join the taliban. at another point seeming to suggest that all the corruption that's going on over there is somehow the fault of foreigners, i.e., us. how did you find this man? >> well, i sat right here, very similar. i asked him those tough questions. what about it comments about the taliban. is he a true ally? are we friends or are we enemies? what's the relationship? don't forget, his father got killed by the taliban. he hates the taliban. there's no way that he's going to.... >> schieffer: why would he say that? >> i think he's under a lot of stress. daily assassination attempts, dealing with 40-plus coalition partners. dealing with the corruption and other political issues that his country faces. the challenges that are there.

and after our meeting i was convinced that he was sincere. he recognizes and appreciates the sacrifice and support our men and women have given his country. the financial assistance we've provided. i left afghanistan hopeful that general mcchrystal's plan and working hand in hand with the coalition forces the tribal leaders afternoon the individuals in afghanistan. that's the best chance we have of success. >> schieffer: let me add finally, your daughter... how does she say her name? she has joined cbs news as the correspondent on the early show. how do you feel about that some. >> she's a broadcast journalism major. she's been dealing with tv ever since her time on idol. i've watched her segments. they're very professional. she works very, very hard. she's she was the hardest worker on the show. she's going to have to stand on your own two feet. i'm very excited for that opportunity. i hope she takes advantage of

it. >> schieffer: senator, thank you for coming by. we hope to see you many times down the road. >> i'm looking forward to it. >> schieffer: thank you. we'll be back with in one minute with some analysis. somewhere in america... the slightest breeze harbors immense power. the tallest buildings leave the lightest footprints. a fifty-ton train makes barely a mark on the environment. and a country facing climate change finds climate solutions.

somewhere in america, we've already answered some of the nation's toughest questions. and the over sixty thousand people of siemens are ready to do it again. siemens. answers. >> schieffer: we are back now with brand new pulitzer prize winner kathleen parker. now that you're a regular on "face the nation" so we can now say that face the nation has won a pulitzer. >> i owe it all to you, bob. >> schieffer: we will be the first broadcast outlet to win since broadcasters are not eligible. i'm just teasing. congratulations, a well deserved honor. >> thank you. >> schieffer: you're a conservative columnist by nature. yet you were one of the first to sort of talk about sarah palin. you write this morning about some of the rhetoric that's coming out from the right side. >> right, right. >> schieffer: especially from the tea party. you point out that you think

it may be dangerous. >> well, i think we have to be cautious. by the way, as to my being a conservative and having these things to say, i always like to quote george will who famously said being a conservative does not mean we have to take a leap into the darkness. i think i want to make clear i'm not saying the tea party people are violent or racist or any of that. i think there are some people who attach themselves to any crowd scene and can tarnish, you know, our perception of the organization or the movement in this case. i'm not saying that the tea partiers are bad people or dangerous. but i think the... with all these heated rhetoric and some of these words that carry... they're pretty loaded "reload. targeting." all that sort of thing. there's a danger there. i think we have to be very vigilant. when someone does say something that incites volatility, i think we have to

call 'em on it. if it's a politician or a pundit or just someone in the crowd. we have to self-police and be extremely careful because i do think there is a lot of anger and it could become something else. >> schieffer: someone made an interesting toint to me recently in talking about some of this really nasty rhetoric that shows up on the internet. where you don't know who said it. there really is no accountability. the internet being the only place, the only vehicle to deliver news that has no editor. you don't know where this stuff comes from, whether it's true or false. this person said to me, you know, we've always had opinion that comes from various places like during lincoln's day, every newspaper had an editorial point of view. but this person said the difference was in those days you knew which paper it was coming from. now you don't know where some of this is coming from. and that is the added factor to the volatility of this stuff.

>> it's interesting. people will say anything when they have the cloak of anonimity. it's sort of like terrorism. we don't know where to aim our bomb so we can't go after a country because there are, you know, there's no one place to focus on it. it's the same thing with the internet. you can't really... you don't know who to go after. you and i, i'm sure, you share some of the wonderful experiences i've had of being attacked and threatened and whatnot. it's sort of... it feeds on itself. you know, it builds. people who are not well grounded and who may have these more violent tendencies suddenly find a place where they can convene and find validation and you can find company. i don't know where that all leads. but it's kind of scary. >> schieffer: where do you think the tea party is right now? does it pose a greater danger to the republican party, per se, because if it becomes a third party you have a ross proceed... perot kind of

movement. when he got into it, bill clinton got elected because three people were competing for the votes or does it pose a greater threat to democratic office holders? >> i think democratic office holders are in big trouble come november. the tea party movement, it's hard to settle on who they are, what they are, what they believe. but the... i think essentially it's anti-big government. it's anti-more taxes. and that's why they claim scott brown, of course, is because his platform happens to coincide with what they believe. but if you are... i think, you know, some republicans may be in danger but mostly it will be the democrats. >> schieffer: it is most of all, if you look at the results of our cbs news poll last week, it is the anti-obama party. this is really the core of the opposition to barack obama. this is a party that is wealthier than most americans. the people are more educated it turns out than the average

american is. and they have a greater dislike of obama than even those in the mainstream. >> i don't think that helps them. i don't think it helps the republican party because being anti-obama some of these... a larger percentage of tea partiers than anyone else also believes he was not born in this country. they get associated with this sort of attitude. i know a lot of people who are actually... who would identify with the tea party or who in fact are sympathetic to the tea party. fiscal constraint philosophy. but the sort of fringey elements are going to undermine their credibility i think ultimately hurt them as long as the republicans are associated with them. >> schieffer: when you win the pulitzer they submit a body of work. i guess not you but your editors picked out a number of columns that you wrote. one of them was about scott brown. what do you make of scott brown? >> well, i think scott brown i think what you see is what you get. you know, he is just... he's a

very independent fellow. he's going to pick off somebody... tick off somebody every time. the tea partiers like to claim him. then, you know, the republican party wants to claim him. he votes, i think he said to you he votes according to each issue. he approaches each issue as independently. and i think he is that. he's a very straight shooter and a regular guy. he's a good guy. he's going to make people mad. >> schieffer: we have about 20 seconds. do you think it is politically risky for republicans now to be identifying with wall street bankers in light of these outrages? >> i think so. i think they're going to have to... you know, the banks have become even bigger and more powerful. i think that's certainly a part of what the republicans are going to have to confront. i think that they're on the other side of that. >> schieffer: kathleen parker, thank you so much. again, congratulations. >> thank you. thanks for having me. >> schieffer: back in a moment with some final thoughts.

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>> schieffer: finally today we have a rule at our house that goes like this: if everything else is going fine, the toilet breaks. the meaning being that the things we take most for granted seem to fail only when we least expect it. so when that icelandic volcano shot down... shut down air travel across europe it was not just the last thing we would have expected. it caused those of us at a certain age, me, to reflect on life before jet planes. frankly the memories were not all bad. in today's mania for instant gratification, fast food, fast travel, and news as it happens, we don't just overschedule, we get results too fast to process. when it took us longer to get there, at least we had time to think about why we went. my grand kids believe everything in america is about an hour or so away. earlier generations appreciated how broad and diverse our country is. because they had to travel through it, not glance at it

from 30,000 feet. before jet planes made it possible for politicians to fly home every week to raise money, campaigns were a lot cheaper. and when they had to stay in washington, they actually got to know each other. you may not believe this part, they got to know what was in the legislation they were voting on. and besides, there are alternatives to air travel. i saw in the "new york times" that monty python actor john chrees hired a taxi in oslo to drive him 900 miles to brus he wills where he caught a train home to london. the taxi cost $5,000 but there was no charge for carry-on luggage. back in a moment. [ male announcer ] redesigned power e-trade pro. it's like hardwiring the market right into my desktop. launch my watchlist -- a popping stock catches my eye. pull up the price chart. see what the analysts say. as i jump back, streaming video news confirms what i thought.

pull the trigger -- done. i can even do most of this on my smartphone. really, it's incredible. like nothing i've ever experienced. trade free for 60 days on redesigned power e-trade pro. like nothing i'i don't thinkienced. you can live the american lifestyle without energy. we have all this energy here in the u.s. we have wind. we have solar, obviously. we have lots of oil. i think natural gas is part of the energy mix of the future. i think we have the can-do. we have the capability. we have the technology. the solutions are here. we just need to find them here. >> schieffer: and that's it for this week. thanks for watching and i hope you'll be here next week. we will again be with face the nation. captioning sponsored by cbs

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